Bhubaneswar: Years after West Bengal clinched the geographical indication (GI) tag for 'Banglar Rasogolla', it is celebration time for Odisha, which had also staked a claim on the origin of its own version of the syrupy sweet, and has finally obtained the GI tag for 'Odisha Rasagola'.
Chennai-based GI registry on Monday issued a certificate to the Odisha Small Industries Corporation Limited (OSIC) and Utkal Mistanna Byabasayee Samiti Odisha, designating them as the registered holders of the GI tagged rasagola.
A GI tag recognises a product as unique to a particular locality or region or country.
With the tag, the sweet now appears in Class 30 of GI tagged products that include other items such as coffee, tea, cocoa, sugar, rice, and tapioca among other items.
In November 2017, West Bengal had obtained the GI tag for its version of the sweet delicacy, which meant that the GI registry recognised West Bengal to be the origin of Rasogolla.
Following this, the Odisha government filed an appeal in 2018 claiming its rights on a version of the sweet, that is unique to the state.
The GI tag, secured by the neighbouring states, recognises two distinct varieties of the sweet, which are exclusive from each other in terms of taste, texture, and consistency.
